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Wednesday, 17 September 2014

I haven't posted anything on here in a while, let alone a recipe post but here you go! Quite a bit different than my usual sugar-laden, super sweet desserts but still very tasty - granola bars! These are absolutely packed with plenty of good-for-you ingredients and are addicting to snack on. They come together quite quickly and make the perfect snack. I got the recipe from aunt but made a few minor changes. You can totally customize the bars to fit your preference - add whatever nuts or seeds you prefer or add in dried fruit or dark chocolate. Whatever! Here's what I did:

2 - In a saucepan on medium heat, combine coconut oil, honey and coconut sugar. Bring to a boil and stir until all ingredients are combined.

3 - Pour over the oats mixture. Add in your cinnamon, puffed rice and hemp hearts. If you are using dried fruit or any additional ingredients, add them in now. Mix until everything comes together.

4 - On a baking tray lined with parchment paper, pour the mixture out. Wet your hands to prevent mixture from sticking, and flatten out until about 1.5 cm thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

5 - Once out of the oven, set the baking tray on a cooling rack until the granola is slightly warm and firm. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into however wide and long you would like your pieces to be. Keep any crumbs or pieces that break off when you're cutting and use them to sprinkle over yogurt or cereal. Store bars in an airtight container.

Thursday, 7 August 2014

One Direction are not my guilty pleasure. I'm twenty-two years old and I absolutely love them - guilt-free and unashamedly. And nOOOO (!!!!) I do not think I'm far too old to like a boy band and nOOOO (!!!!) I'm not embarrassed to call myself a Directioner, however I wouldn't catogorize myself as a diehard fan - you won't catch me staking out their hotels or chasing them down the street (though I would love to meet them!). But, singing at the top of my voice in a stadium full of 48,000 screaming fans? That, I can most definitely do all over again.

One thing (pun unintended) that I love about 1D is how much fun they always seem to be having. They don't take themselves too seriously and whether it's in an interview I'm watching online or seeing them live, they're constantly making me smile.

Seeing them live was incredible, I've never been to a concert of that level and it was intense. We had excellent seats, right on the floor, and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. The energy that I felt walking into that stadium was insane! It was such an amazing atmosphere and I had the best time being there. I thought the boys performed brilliantly and I really enjoyed their setlist, though a few of my personal favourite songs were left out. But, that's okay! The guys still had me and my friend out of our seats, screaming lyrics out at the top of our lungs and it was all very magical. Especially seeing Louis Tomlinson in the flesh *heart eyes emoji*

Oh and if you LOVE One Direction just as much as I do you can head on over *here* and donate to Stand Up to Cancer. By supporting such a great cause you have a chance to win a trip to Miami with your bestest pal (!!!) to not only SEE One Direction live but meet them as well! How fab is that?!!